Since the beginning of time, Gold has been associated with wealth, power and the Sun. It is an amazing metal to work with and over time, its versatility has shown to be a very useful property within many different industries.

Gold is known to be the most malleable of all metals. It can be drawn into a wire of single-atom width, and then stretched considerably before it breaks. A single gram of gold can be beaten into a sheet of 1 square metre or draw more than a Km long wire which makes it ideal for the jewellery industry.

Jewellery has always been the primary use of gold due to its beautiful natural colour and luster, however over the years, its use has derived from artistic ornamental objects, to medical uses, space craft manufacturing, electronics and is considered as one of the most adaptable minerals on earth thanks to its malleability, durability, ease to work with, and its non tarnish properties. Gold’s exceptional characteristics have allowed it to become and remain one of the most treasured minerals on the planet over centuries!

How do we work with gold in the jewellery industry?

Yellow gold has always been the most popular type of gold for jewellery due to its history and heritage but thanks to the process of “alloying” gold is available in a different colour palette. There are 3 different types of “gold” that are used within the industry : Yellow gold (pure gold), White gold and Rose gold. The process of “alloying” refers to the mixing of other metals with pure 24 carat Yellow Gold which allows for more malleability, durability, but can also be used to change its colour and price tag!

Each of the three colors is created depending on the amount and type of alloy that is added to the pure gold :

Yellow Gold 24K (or 999) is Gold’s purest and original form. It is a beautiful vibrant yellow colour but its use for jewellery making is not widely spread due to its extremely soft and malleable state.
White gold is created through alloying 24K Yellow Gold with white metals such as palladium or silver. It can also be plated with rhodium to create a harder surface with a brighter shine.
Finally, Rose gold is created through the alloying of 24K Yellow Gold with copper, resulting in a soft metallic pink colour.

Parts of Gold

24kt Gold - 999

As expressed earlier, 24kt is Gold’s most purest and original form. It is the ultimate carat and consists of 100% Gold. It is also often referred to as 999.9 as Gold is a natural mineral, and therefore could never be 1000% pure.

24kt gold is a very vibrant yellow colour with a strong luster. It is highly valuable and precious, however it is not ideal for jewellery making as its extremely malleable and soft state would lead the pieces to getting easily deformed.

22kt Gold - 916

*24kt = 999.9 Pure Gold*
*22 parts Pure Gold + 2 parts Alloy*
*22kt = 916 Pure Gold + 84 Alloy* = 999.9

22kt Gold (or 916) is the second purest carat of Gold as it contains around 91.6% pure gold and only 8.4% alloy. It is still extremely precious and can often be quite pricey due to its high contents of pure gold. 22kt Gold highly resembles 24kt in appearance but thanks to the added 8.4% alloy, it is more durable to change and more resistant to wearability which makes it a perfect alternative to 24kt gold for really valuable jewellery pieces. It is mainly used for plain and solid pieces such as chains, bangles or simple wedding bands and is also used as investment pieces due to the high gold contents.

18kt Gold - 750

what is 18kt gold — *24kt = 999.9 Pure Gold*
*18 parts Pure Gold + 6 parts Alloy*
*18kt = 750 Pure Gold + 250 Alloy = 999.9*

18kt is the most popular carat used within the jewellery industry, and has an almost ‘sunset-esque’ hue to it. It is made of 75% of Pure Gold and 25% of Alloy. Its high pure Gold content makes 18kt Gold the third most valuable carat, while its 25% alloy allows the metal to be extremely resistant and resilient to change. 18kt Gold is the perfect metal for jewellery making in terms of pricing and durability.

14kt Gold - 585

*24kt = 999.9 Pure Gold*
*14 parts Pure Gold + 10 parts Alloy*
*14kt = 585 Pure Gold + 415 Alloy = 999.9*

14kt Gold is on the more affordable side than the last 3 carats due to its larger amount of alloy, but It still has a higher ratio of pure gold than alloy. It is comprised of 58.5% Pure Gold and 41.5% Alloy, leading to a beautiful and warmer tone of gold. Its affordability and still rather high content of pure gold makes it a very attractive option for most people looking to wear durable gold jewellery without breaking the bank.

9kt Pure Gold - 375

*24kt = 999.9 Pure Gold*
*9 parts Pure Gold + 15 parts Alloy*
*9kt = 375 Pure Gold + 625 Alloy = 999.9*

9kt Gold is the most affordable carat due to its high Alloy content. It is the only carat that is comprised of more alloy than gold which makes it way less precious than the rest. It is made of only 37.5% pure gold and 62.5% alloy, leading to a very light and warm tone of gold. Its high amount of alloy (usually silver and copper) also means that the piece will most likely oxidise overtime, but can easily be re polished at home using polishing agents or cloths.

In conclusion, gold is treasured not only for its beauty but also for its utility and will continue to remain the most sought-after precious metal in the jewellery world. Its natural beauty, luster, diverse colour palette and ways in which the metal has proved to hold its value overtime, makes it ideal for everyday wear and the perfect financial investment. Its variety if carats also allows for everyone to indulge in its preciousness!

Thank you S.

Understanding Gold